by Paul & Lynn Hanthorn
The Lord’s Will Became Our Plans
FORT McPHERSON, NWT
This is a brief reflection of the importance of church planting and how the Lord prepared and equipped my wife and me to go to Canada’s Arctic in that capacity. I remember clearly the preparation of packing, travelling, and then arriving at our present mission location, not really knowing what to expect or how the Lord would use us in the cross-cultural setting in which we found ourselves. I remember we came with willing hearts to learn and be obedient.
The Lord prepared us through education, but probably more significantly, He prepared us spiritually, by encouraging us to submit to Him, to follow unswervingly, and to be willing to trust Him by relying fully on His provision, protection and plan. Further, I remember distinctly, as if yesterday (not to be mystical), that as we drove over the mountains for the first time and approached the community, an opening in the clouds appeared, and the sun shone down on the quaint hamlet that we would call home for years to come. All this to say that the Lord’s will for us and the ministry of the Gospel here became our plans.
We learned and continue to learn valuable lessons in missiology, faithfulness, love, and Christlikeness as we labour for the Gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Lord’s instructions to His disciples, He said that His followers would be His witnesses, after the Holy Spirit came upon them, and that they were to preach the Gospel throughout the world, teaching all He taught to those who respond.
Tetlit Zheh Christian Fellowship in Fort McPherson, NWT.
I also try to keep in mind the two things Christ instituted before His departure; believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Church ministry is everything and all that the Lord designed and wanted us to implement. This goes for the organization of the Church as well, after it is established. It is a joy to be used by the Lord, though the work may not always be done with ease. There is encouragement and joy found in the fruit of one’s labour, as well as hearts filled with hope from obedience, faithfulness, and an expectation of our Lord’s promised return.
Church planting is at the very core of what God has done and is doing in these last days since Christ left (Matt. 16:18; Acts 20:28). Throughout the New Testament, the Church is clearly the entity that God crafted and establishes and wants to grow and develop. Christ is the builder, but He uses people, and He grants gifts to them for the work (Eph. 4:11f). All the glory then belongs to God for all His work. Everyone’s church planting story may be unique but at the same time identical in that God is always at the forefront. Please pray for the Lord’s continued work here. Rejoice with me and partners that have contributed to ministry among the people groups of the Arctic. I hope and pray more will come into the knowledge of the truth. •
Lynn teaching a Sunday School class.
(from Northern Lights issue #559)